


I love you, Eli

by Thejoysofcreativity



Series: The Voices in Our Heads [1]
Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence - Freeform, Background Miguel Diaz/Samantha LaRusso/Robby Keene, Lots of Demitri angst, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, hurt comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28768341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thejoysofcreativity/pseuds/Thejoysofcreativity
Relationships: Demetri/Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz
Series: The Voices in Our Heads [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2109219
Comments: 21
Kudos: 109





	I love you, Eli

When someone turns ten, they can talk to their soulmate through telepathy and project their memories and emotions onto one another. On Demetri’s tenth birthday, he hears the voice of his best friend. He projects his joy onto Eli, and they both are consumed with happiness.

His mother is simultaneously delighted and slightly disappointed. Eli is shy, and has a number of problems that his mother doesn’t like. Demitri doesn’t care. All he knows is that his best friend is destined to love him for the rest of their lives.

They carry on like they did before, as kids do. They keep playing, and all this revelation means at that point is that they talk aloud a lot less.

Eli doesn’t talk much, not even through their bond, but Demitri doesn’t care. He talks enough for the both of them, and repeats the same phrase endlessly.

_I love you, Eli._

Six years later Demitri still repeats this like a mantra in Eli’s head. It reassures Eli, truly, to know that Demitri is so devoted to him. Through every bad day, through every struggle, Demitri tells him that he loves him. 

He likes to wrap the feeling of love around him, like a blanket, and Demitri knows this well. Everytime the bullies shove him or call him a freak, Eli feels Demitri push all his love and devotion onto him. 

But no matter how much Demitri tells him he loves him, Eli can’t shake the feeling that Demitri deserves better than a loser like him.

(Once, Eli said that Demitri should leave him, pretend they weren’t soulmates and make some other friends. _You could be popular_ , he had told him. Demitri had never looked at him with more horror.)

“What girl would kiss _that_?” Kyler shoves Eli, and his cheeks burn. He can feel Demitri projecting his love and reassurance onto him.

_I would_ , Demitri reassures him. _You know I would. I love you Eli._

(There’s always been one tiny flaw in their relationship. Eli’s never said it back.)

They’ve never been a couple, not in the normal sense of the word. Some people, when they discover their soulmate, never let go of them. When they get older, this translates to always making out with them. Demitri and Eli have never been like this. It’s not because Demitri doesn’t want to, of course not, but Eli has always been a little in denial that they’re soulmates.

_We’re best friends_ , he’d stated. _We don’t need to be a couple just because everyone else is._

They don’t talk in their heads unless it’s just them. That’s how secretive they are about their relationship.

At coding camp, they had talked with a group about their soulmates.

“Eli, what about you? Do you talk to your soulmate?” Someone had asked.

Eli had looked away and shook his head. “They live states away. We don’t talk much.”

Demitri had parroted almost the same answer when he was asked.

They’ve never even kissed, not once. But he’d never make Eli do anything he doesn’t want to do.

  
Which isn’t to say that it doesn’t make Demitri _ache_ . He wishes they could be like other soulmates and be in love, but if Eli doesn’t feel the same, he won’t push it. He’ll just keep hoping, because Eli comes first. He always has. (It doesn’t stop him hoping, and it doesn’t stop him hating himself for not being able to just be _happy_ for what he has.)

He tells him every day, _I love you, Eli._

Then Miguel comes along, and so does Cobra Kai, and Eli is determined to fight back. To him, Sensei Lawrence and Cobra Kai are what they’ve always needed. Miguel fights back against the bullies, not like Eli and Demitri, who just stand there and wait for it to be over.

Karate could make them badass, like the heroes they’ve spent years worshipping in comics.

Demitri doesn’t see eye to eye with him about it.

_We don’t need karate!_ Demitri insists. _That sensei is a douchebag, and it’s all too violent._

Eli decides he’s going anyway. 

Eli becomes Hawk, and the bullies stop. He learns how to fight back, and his new name makes everyone forget about Eli with the cleft lip.

Demitri never calls him Hawk, not once.

Hawk knows that resenting your soulmate is a terrible thing. Everyone knows your soulmate is meant to support you no matter what, and Demitri isn’t doing that. 

But Hawk ends up hating that he’d dragged Demitri to the All-Valley to watch him fight after he gets his ass disqualified for attacking that douche from Miyagi-Do. He’d only done what his Sensei had told him to, shown no mercy.

Demitri’s quick to reassure him. _It’s alright, you did really well. I love you, Eli._

It scares Demitri, to see Eli so angry. The way he dislocates his opponent’s shoulder without even thinking about it makes Demitri shudder.

But Demitri wants to give karate another go, for Eli (because his soulmate won’t talk to him anymore, and Demitri doesn’t even _know_ what to do about that). When he arrives, the shithead sensei seems to have hired another shithead sensei.

Demitri will be the first to admit that he can be a bit of a cocky shithead, but punching a kid in the face is something that an adult should _never_ do. He knows that for a fact.

So he leaves an angry yelp review and decides to think of another way.

_I love you, Eli_ , he thinks, _but I’m not joining Cobra Kai._

Finding out that Demitri’s joined Miyagi-Do is like a punch to Hawk’s gut. He knows that Demitri is mad at him (his lack of commentary in his head is enough to tell him that), but he never thought that his soulmate would join the _enemy_.

Then he finds out about the review.

_Why would you be so stupid?_ Hawk demands. 

_You’re gonna have to be more specific,_ Demitri quips.

Hawk knows that the insult to his dojo cannot go unanswered, and it’s not like he and Demitri were ever actually in love.

So naturally he grabs a group and they corner him at the comic book store. But of course, Demitri doesn’t listen to reason.

“Take the review down, or else,” Hawk threatens.

Demitri’s entire face falls. “You’d actually hurt me?” He asks aloud, but in their heads he asks _did you ever really love me?_

It’s a loaded question. It’s not even like they’d been a couple before. And now, Hawk’s dojo is everything. 

But had he loved Demitri? Did he still?

There’s no point wondering now. 

“Take. The review. Down,” Hawk repeats, stepping forward with a dark expression on his face.

“Or what?” Demitri demands, a stricken expression on his face.

Hawk steps forward and shoves Demitri to the ground.

Hawk’s not sure Demitri realises that the wave of hurt and rejection he feels is shoved onto him.

_How could you?_ Demitri demands, scrambling to his feet. _I love you, Eli_.

Eli gives chase and Demitri sprints away.

As he runs, his heart aches. He knows that Eli is different now, angrier, more bitter. But he’d never thought Eli would really hurt him.

He’s grateful for Sam and Robby’s intervention. Watching Hawk fight them as Demitri desperately tries to avoid getting beaten up makes something inside him break.

The Cobra Kai kids slink away, and Eli’s gaze lingers on him for just a second.

“It’s so wrong that Cobra Kai are going after us in _public_ like that!” Sam exclaims. Robby reaches over and puts an arm on her shoulder. It’s obvious to Demitri that the two of them are soulmates.

“Well why don’t you talk to Miguel, since you guys are friends?” Demitri demands. Sam, Robby and Miguel are all good friends, and Miguel sometimes comes over after training.

Sam gives him a very confused look. “We _are_.”

“What?” Demitri has no clue what Sam’s talking about.

“He’s our soulmate.” Robby explains simply.

Demitri nods, first slowly and then more frantically. “Great. Just great. _Your_ soulmate can be Cobra Kai and still love you.” His voice breaks at the end and Demitri curls in on himself.

“Oh _Demitri_. Oh I’m so sorry.” Sam rushes forward and wraps him in a hug.

Demitri has never let himself cry over the fact that Eli doesn’t love him. Not even when Eli visibly avoided conversations about soulmates, not even when Demitri tried to hold his hand in ninth grade and Eli pulled it away.

But after _this_? Where Eli _actively_ tried to hurt him?

Demitri lets the tears fall.

_I love you, Eli. Even after this._

Hawk isn’t sure what to do about Demitri. So he goes to the one person he trusts to guide him: Sensei Kreese.

“Sensei? I have a question for you,” Hawk says quietly after training.

“But of course, Hawk.” Sensei Kreese sits at his desk. “What can I do for you?”

“I have a question about... soulmates. My soulmate keeps talking trash about Cobra Kai, even after I told him to stop. So how do I stay loyal to Cobra Kai and my soulmate? _Can_ I even do that?” Hawk asks quietly.

Kreese sighs. “Quite a conundrum you have there. Do you know what happened to _my_ soulmate, Hawk?”

Hawk shakes his head. “No, Sensei.”

“We fought alongside each other in Vietnam. But I was in charge of a bomb that would take out an enemy base. My soulmate hadn’t got out of the way quick enough and I hesitated. That hesitation caused my soulmate to be killed in front of me, and the rest of my squadron to be put in a prisoner of war camp where only half of us came out,” Kreese explains. “Choose your fellow soldiers, Hawk. Not your soulmate.”

Hawk nods. “Yes, Sensei.”

He can’t imagine what Sensei Kreese must have gone through. Losing your soulmate is supposed to be one of the hardest things ever to happen to you. But a lot of people find someone else afterwards, or learn to be happy without their soulmates. 

Hawk’s not sure he can picture life without Demitri. But he was told _Cobra Kai for life_ , so he’ll listen to it.

So he helps the other Cobras ambush and prank the Miyagi-Dos whenever he can. Demitri always looks so hurt, but every time those stupid words ring through his head.

_I love you, Eli_.

Having more people in Miyagi-Do than just Sam and Robby is nice. Miguel had also joined up, having gotten sick of Kreese and walked out. (Apparently he still hangs out with the other Sensei, so Demitri isn’t sure where he stands in terms of the whole Cobra Kai vs Miyagi-Do thing.)

But the three soulmates are kind to him, and listen to him when he grieves the loss of his soulmate. It happens more than he’s proud to admit, and even Miguel is quick to help him whenever he watches Demitri’s face fall.

“You know it’s wrong, what Hawk does to you, right?” Miguel asks one afternoon, after training. Sam and Robby are inside, and Miguel has lingered behind.

Demitri nods slowly. “I know..”

“I can’t believe _anybody_ would treat their soulmate like that,” Miguel admits, sitting down next to Demitri.

“Well, even before Cobra Kai it was complicated,” Demitri confesses, eyes on the ground. “We were never really _together_ , y’know?”

Miguel sighs. “It was… complicated with Robby too. He was really nervous to meet us, and it took a long time. Like I got with Sam pretty much when I moved here, but Robby lived here for ages and I honestly don’t know if he would’ve come and found us if he hadn’t got a job with Mr LaRusso.”

“Really?” Demitri’s shocked. “You guys just seem so… perfect.”

Miguel laughs and shakes his head. “No relationship is _perfect_ , dude.”

“I don’t know if Eli and I will ever be like that,” Demitri admits, and Miguel puts a hand on his shoulder.

“I really hope you get to be happy dude, even if it’s not with your soulmate,” Miguel says gently.

“Thanks man.” Demitri forces out a smile.

Still, not being saddled with _just_ soulmates is nice. Chris and Nate are really nice people.

The party at Moon’s is the best way for Demitri to try and distract himself. When Eli walks in, Demitri decides to break his own rules and get a drink.

It’s probably what gives him the confidence to sit down next to Eli after not talking to him for several weeks. Well, maybe not _not talking_ , but certainly not saying anything nice.

“Hey,” he says, faking confidence as usual. “Have you seen the new issue of Dark Rider?”

Eli barely glances at him. “That’s nerd shit. I don’t do that anymore.”

“Right, totally,” Demitri quips, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Not that, if you have it, I wouldn’t _borrow_ it,” Eli mutters quietly.

“You know where my house is,” Demitri replies, feigning apathy.

“I-uh, I heard there was a new doctor. What’s he like?” Eli asks softly.

“ _She_ is awesome.” Demitri gives Eli an amused look, and for a minute it feels exactly how it used to, just talking about the things they both love, stuff that Eli calls “nerd shit” now.

“ _She_?!” Eli exclaims, his interest so obvious in his face that it makes something in Demitri twist with fondness.

But just as Demitri opens his mouth, someone calls out “Hawk!” from across the room. 

Eli doesn’t even hesitate in getting up, and Demtri feels the hurt that’s become ever-so familiar these days.

He feels a steely resolve build in him as he utters the words he wishes he would hear back.

_I love you, Eli_.

Hawk’s relishing in the party when Demitri gets up onstage.

“Yo, check out this loser,” someone to his side jeers. 

Hawk can’t take his eyes off Demitri. Something in Hawk tells him that whatever happens now is going to end badly for both of them.

“Eli _Hawk_ Moskowitz,” Demitri begins and if Hawk wasn’t listening before he certainly is now. “I know he’d all like you to forget he has any other name, just like he’d like you to forget he was any other person. The Eli I knew wasn’t popular. He didn’t hurt people. He didn’t try to beat people up. The Eli I knew _cried_ when Dobby died in Harry Potter.”

Someone behind Hawk laughs and he glares at them. The kid shuts up immediately.

“The Eli I knew loved Doctor Who, and we’d watch every episode together. The Eli I knew loved Lego, and I _still_ have a half-built Death Star in my basement from the last time he came over. He likes to pretend that he’s tough, but really, deep down, he’s a _nerd_ ,” Demitri declares, looking straight at Hawk.

Eli has a lot of secrets. He’s the first one to admit that (if only to himself), and there are a lot that Demitri knows that could ruin him. But the one Demitri comes out with next is the _worst_ he could possibly choose.

“And after all this, even after he’s threatened me, beat me up, do you all want to know the truth? Eli is my soulmate, and I still love him.”

A shocked gasp ripples through the crowd. Everyone knows attacking your soulmate is the worst thing a person could possibly do. A lot of people believe it means you have no soul. Everyone believes it makes you evil. It’s a terrible, terrible thing, and Demitri has just told everyone what he’s done.

Everyone looks at Hawk in shock and horror, and a few cross themselves and step away. Even Miguel looks utterly revolted by him.

“So next time you’re worshipping Cobra Kai, remember who they’re putting up as one of their champions. A _soulbeater_.” Demitri drops the mic and walks away.

There it is, that terrible word that’s used for people who hurt their soulmate. A word Eli used to swear would never be used to describe him. Now, all he feels is rage.

“You’re _dead_!” Hawk launches forward and again, people look at him in horror. “You wanna be next?” The crowd steps away.

Demitri only gets away because the sound of police sirens ring through the air and everybody scatters.

And even through that, Demitri still throws those infuriating words into his head, this time teasing and full of malice.

_I love you, Eli_.

Demitri can’t walk through school without getting sympathetic looks. He has strangers come up to him and utter sympathetic platitudes, and the other Miyagi-Do students stay particularly close to him anytime Eli so much as _looks_ at Demitri.

So when the fragile peace between Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai finally breaks, Demitri’s almost glad to get into a fight.

The fight breaks out when Tory catches Aisha and Chris kissing. Apparently Aisha is Tory’s soulmate, but of course, Tory is a tad messed up, and Aisha had made it clear that Tory needed to work herself out before Aisha would agree to be with her. Chris’s soulmate is states away, and they’d agreed to do some casual dating before eventually getting together when they could. (This in itself is not unusual, but of course, Tory doesn’t see it that way.)

Obviously, Eli takes the opportunity to hunt him down, and the fury in his soulmate’s eyes is enough to make Demitri run.

“Eli! Eli come on!” Demitri protests, hands up.

Eli starts punching frantically. Demitri does his best to block but one of the blows hits him in the face. His soulmate is a flurry of punches and kicks, and Demitri gives up. He starts running.

He runs to the computer lab, and prays that Eli won’t find him. He sends a wave of fear and hurt, and of love, which he _hates_ that he still has for Eli. Horrendously, he wishes that he had the strength to block out his soulmate.

(It’s a possibility. Some people go their lives blocking out their soulmate. Demitri had done it once after a fight in sixth grade. He’d lasted three days and they’d both felt so empty inside that they had both agreed never ever to do it again.)

(Demitri still wishes he could.)

Eli bursts in through the door to the computer lab, and Demitri immediately goes into a defensive position.

“You can stop this. We don’t have to fight,” Demitri protests weakly.

Eli punches him in the stomach. Demitri shoves him backwards and just desperately tries to block. He doesn’t want to hurt Eli, he truly doesn’t. He just tries to keep standing. 

But all the same, he tries to get through to his soulmate.

_I love you, Eli_.

Hawk pushes Demitri into the wall, his heart pumping and chest heaving.

_I love you, Eli._

Demitri tries desperately to block a vicious kick. He doesn’t know if Eli will stop once Demitri is down, and he doesn’t want to find out.

_I love you, Eli._

Hawk kicks and they end up out of the doorway and into the hall. Demitri runs into the open room where everyone else is fighting. Hawk doesn’t hesitate to follow.

_I love you, Eli._

“SHUT UP!” Eli screams. “Shut up, because I am _never_ going to love you. So get that through your _stupid_ head!”

For a split second Demitri freezes. It’s not like he didn’t know all this already, but hearing it from Eli’s mouth _hurts_. But for now he has to focus on getting out of this fight still standing.

So when Eli throws his whole body into a punch, Demitri kicks him backwards.

Demitri swears his whole body freezes when Eli hits the cabinet, and glass shatters all around him. He stares, unsure if he should try to help or not.

When Eli gets back up, bloodied but even more infuriated, Demitri lets out a breath he doesn’t know he’s holding.

Then at that moment, Miguel, who had been helping to defend Chris, hits the stair railing.

Robby and Sam wail “Miguel!” in sync, rushing to their soulmate’s side.

Demitri glances at Eli then rushes to his unconscious friend’s side.

Demitri doesn’t talk to Eli for ages afterwards. Even thinking about him is too painful.

For the longest time, Demitri has grieved that his soulmate doesn’t love him. He used to tell himself that even if Eli didn’t love him romantically, he must at least love him another way. Now, Demitri knows better. Eli isn’t meant to be his soulmate, not in the proper sense.

After the fight, Sensei Lawrence helps teach Miyagi-Do. Apparently he and Sensei LaRusso had talked out their problems outside Miguel’s hospital room. 

Sensei LaRusso is ready to shut it down, but Sensei Lawrence (with Sam and Robby’s help) convinces him to keep it open, because Cobra Kai aren’t going to back down. It unsettles Demitri that Sensei Lawrence joining means that Eli is left with only Kreese to teach him.

He knows it means the Cobras will be more vicious, and he’s proven right when Nate comes back with bruises after their fundraiser for Miguel.

So when Sam suggests they pay back some Cobra Kai members who are bothering Chris at his workplace, Demitri knows he has to join this fight. Sam wants to jump at the chance to take revenge on the people who hurt her soulmate.

“And Demitri,” she keeps insisting, “if they’re willing to harbour a _soulbeater_ , what does it say about them?”

So Demitri agrees.

To say he’s unsurprised that Eli is there is an understatement. The viciousness is something he should be used to by now, but it still hurts Demitri to see it in his soulmate’s eyes.

Eli takes one look at him and throws a punch towards his face.

Demitri blocks frantically, trying to land another good kick. Just to knock him down, no more. Just because he knows that Eli isn’t going to stop doesn’t mean he’s going to be someone that injures his soulmate (he still feels sick from seeing Eli crash into that glass).

When Eli knocks him down, he expects him to leave it there. Demitri’s head is spinning, and he’s certainly not getting back anytime soon.

“Finish him!” He hears someone say, and he feels a hand pushing on his shoulder. A cold feeling washes over Demitri (is the fear his or Eli’s? He’ll never know).

“Eli no, please it’s me,” he begs. He feels Eli hesitate, so he takes a chance.

_I love you, Eli. Please, walk away._

Hawk hesitates for just a second. Demitri is looking at him from over his shoulder, struggling frantically.

He knows, in his heart, that there is no going back from this. If he does this, he is giving up Demitri as his soulmate completely. Is he willing to do that?

“Come on Hawk, who are you going to choose? Your pathetic _soulmate_ there or us, your fellow fighters?” Tory demands. (She’s been bitter since Aisha moved away. Anyone who mentions soulmates gets a death stare.)

Kreese’s words ring through his head. Hawk knows exactly who he has to choose, even as Demitri’s desperate words ring through his head.

_I love you, Eli. Please, please don’t do it._

Demitri feels a sickening crack, but the pain doesn’t just come from the break in his arm.

Demitri lies in the ground as he waits for the Cobras to walk away. He doesn’t hold back the sobs.

_Why won’t you love me too? What did I do that you won’t love me too?_

He feels Eli linger for just a second, then walk away.

At the hospital, he hears Sensei LaRusso and Sensei Lawrence walk in through the door.

“Hey Demitri, how are you holding up?” Sensei LaRusso asks kindly.

“He broke my arm,” Demitri murmurs numbly.

“Who did?” Sensei Lawrence asks, his expression dark.

“Hawk.” Demitri can’t bear to say his real name. “He’s my soulmate and he broke my arm.”

Sensei LaRusso freezes and he hears Sensei Lawrence take in a sharp breath.

“He’s my soulmate. Why won’t he love me? He’s never loved me. Soulmates are supposed to love each other, Sensei, so _why won’t he love me_?” Demitri’s voice breaks at the end and Sensei LaRusso puts a hand on Demitri’s still whole arm.

Sensei LaRusso opens his mouth to speak but Sensei Lawrence beats him to it.

“Sometimes, soulmates do stupid things when they’re scared, and Kreese made it his mission for us to forget about our soulmates. He calls them distractions. Your soulmate’s probably being told the same thing,” Sensei Lawrence explains, and he notices that both his Senseis are leaning on each other.

“Do you think he’ll ever love me back? Considering that my whole life has been like this?” Demitri asks quietly.

“I don’t know. It sounds like his issues go deeper than Kreese,” Sensei Lawrence admits.

That night, Demitri lets out all his anger.

_My whole life, I have been devoted to you. I stood by you when you were bullied, I told you every day how much I felt for you, how much I love you. And all you’ve ever done is ignore me, reject me and hurt me. You never even_ once _told me that you loved me back. And it’s because you never did. You’ve never loved me, no matter how much I tried to please you. And I realise now that I love you, Eli, but you’re not going to love me back._

Hawk’s sitting in the dark, relaying the sound of Demitri’s crying in his head and trying to sleep when the tirade comes into his head. With it comes a wave of pain and rejection. It’s like Demitri is trying to make Hawk hurt just as much as he does.

The next words he expects, even if he’s never wanted to hear them.

_I love you, Eli, but I’m done trying._

Demitri feels a bit better after he’s let all those feelings out. It’s been a long time coming, and lord knows Eli deserves this.

At school, Eli starts to leave him alone, only teasing him instead of trying to hit him.

He overhears Miguel and Hawk talking in the halls during a free period. He hides behind an open door and listens closely.

“Your own _soulmate_ , Hawk. What the hell is wrong with you?” Miguel demands.

“It was him or one of our own. I’m Cobra Kai for life, even if you’re pussy enough to choose your soulmates over your dojo,” Eli sneers, and Demitri just wants to scream.

“Kreese has gotten in your head, man. Do you really think he’s going to care about you as much as Demitri will? As much as Demitri already does?” Miguel’s voice is strained and filled with horror. “He’s brainwashing you.”  
  


“Soulmates are a distraction. You have to choose your fellow soldiers over your soulmate. They’re the ones that bring you strength. Soulmates just bring weakness, just like they did for you,” Hawk hisses.

“I _love_ my soulmates. And I’d _never_ hurt them. That’s how it’s _supposed_ to be,” Miguel retorts. 

“Well, maybe I don’t care about that! Maybe Demitri should just _fuck off_ and find someone else!” Eli shouts. “Maybe then he’d leave me the fuck _alone_ and live his own life!”

“You disgust me,” Miguel declares, and Eli storms away.

Demitri has the good sense to hide before Eli walks past.

But Eli stays even further away than he ever has before.

Their Christmas party gets rudely interrupted too, even though they should be safe. They’re welcoming a few new members and putting together plans for the new semester while their Senseis are out.

When Bert gets thrown through the window, everyone goes into battle positions immediately. 

Eli comes for him again, and Demitri finds himself resignedly putting himself into a defensive position.

“You just can’t keep away!” Demitri teases, ducking out the way of a punch.

He notices, absently, that normally his fights with Eli are normally a lot harder. It’s almost like his soulmate is just going through the motions.

But then another Miyagi-Do comes for Eli and Demitri is shoved into another Cobra, one that definitely wants a fight.

He almost laughs that Kyler is in Cobra Kai. He wonders how Eli’s taken it. He’s not surprised that he almost fears the two equally now.

(Some part of him still aches for Eli though.)

Kyler is vicious, as is his fellow goon, who Demitri can’t remember the name of. He struggles the best he can, but Demitri’s arm is still sore and he’s soon in a death grip.

He’s held up in Eli’s direction.

“Hey Hawk, want a free shot?” Kyler brags.

Demitri resigns himself to another onslaught of abuse, but he tries just once, desperately, to get through to his soulmate.

_You don’t have to do this. I love you, Eli._

Something in Hawk _breaks._

To see Demitri so resigned to his fate, so used to Hawk attacking him, makes something inside Hawk twist and cry out.

Miguel’s words ring in his head. _Kreese has gotten in your head, man. Do you really think he’s going to care about you as much as Demitri will?_

And Hawk realises that no, Kreese won’t.

So he races forward, determined to free his soulmate. He tries to ignore Demitri bracing himself for a blow.

He kicks Kyler backwards and the other guy (he doesn’t bother to look who) into the wall. Then he approaches Demitri.

The fact that his soulmate keeps going backwards, his eyes filled with fear, makes Hawk ache.

_Demitri stop_ , he begs. _I’m sorry, for everything._

Demitri freezes, eyes wide and earnest. _Why now?_ He demands, and yeah, that’s fair.

_Look, we can talk about this later, but for now, help me win this thing?_ Hawk meets his soulmate’s eyes and Demitri nods.

They clasp hands, and then they fight.

Hawk and Demitri use their bond to coordinate with each other.

_Behind you!_ Demitri warns, and Hawk feels someone’s nose snap as he jerks his elbow backwards.

_To your left!_ Hawk exclaims, and when Demitri kicks, he feels someone hit the ground.

When the fight is over, they rush to help Sam, who’s been fighting Tory.

Tory looks at Hawk, eyes filled with malice, and Demitri reaches for Hawk’s hand. Hawk obliges.

“You’d better watch your back, traitor!” Tory spits, and Demitri takes a protective step forward.

“He doesn’t have to. He’s got us to watch it for him,” Demitri says firmly, and Tory slinks away.

Sam, Miguel and Robby go back to the house, but Demitri and Eli remain in the dojo.

_I love you, Demitri_.

The words are said softly, hesitantly, but it makes Demitri freeze.

It’s what he’s always wanted to hear.

_I love you too, Eli_.

Hawk smiles softly and opens his arms. Demitri throws himself into them. 

Demitri’s shoulders begin to shake and Hawk feels his sobs more than he hears them. He surprises himself when he realises that he doesn’t want to hold back his tears. 

“Eli. Eli _.”_ Demitri gasps out, moving his hands up and down Hawk’s back like he doesn’t quite know where to put them.

_I know. I’m here._ Hawk doesn’t think the words so much as feel them.

The two gently kneel to the ground, clasping each other tightly.

_I love you, Eli, I missed you so much_.” Demitri whimpers into Eli’s shoulder, relishing his touch.

_I love you too, Dem. I’m so, so sorry. I’ll never stop being sorry. I don’t know how I’m supposed to fix this. I understand if you never want to see me again. I’m so_ so _sorry._ Hawk clutches Demitri close.

Demitri puts his head back and presses his forehead to Hawk’s. _Thank you._

They still have a lot to talk about, Hawk knows. But for now, Hawk darts his eyes to Demitri’s lips and gives him a questioning look.

Demitri’s face lights up and he nods. It’s all Hawk needs to know.

He presses his lips to Demitri’s and he feels his soulmate’s overwhelming joy.

The two stay that way, just kissing, for what feels like a very long, yet very short, space of time.

_Come back to my house? No one’s home,_ Hawk offers quietly, and Demitri nods.

_I love you, Eli_ , Demitri repeats, and Eli responds by kissing him once more.

Demitri’s not sure if he’s dreaming, if he’s honest. He’s wanted this for _so long_ , and he can’t believe it’s happening.

_I’m sorry_ , Eli tells him again.

_I- I’m trying to forgive you_ , Demitri confesses, taking his soulmate’s hand as they walk.

_It’s more than I deserve, thank you._ Eli looks straight ahead, not at Demitri.

_Can I ask why you changed sides?_ Demitri asks hesitantly.

_I realised that I was on the wrong one. I thought Kreese would show me the right way, but all that’s happened is people keep getting hurt._ Eli’s face twists. _Miguel almost died. What if that had been you? Lord knows breaking your arm was definitely the worst thing I’ve ever done, but what if that had been_ you _falling down that railing? What if_ I’d _pushed_ you _?_

_Then why did you listen? Why did you join Cobra Kai and leave me behind?!_ Demitri demands, hating how hurt he sounds.

_I was sick of being brought down. When I was Hawk, people liked me. I liked being liked,_ Eli admits.

_And before? Why weren’t we y’know,_ Demitri holds up their hands, _like this? Proper soulmates?_

It’s the question he’s wanted to know the answer to for years. Now he has the opportunity to know the answer, Demitri wonders if he actually wants to know the answer.

_I guess I thought I didn’t deserve it. That you deserved better._

Of all the responses Demitri had thought he would hear, this was never one of them.

At that moment they get back to Eli’s house, and when his soulmate opens the door, Demitri pulls his soulmate into a kiss and closes the door behind them.

When they land on the couch, Demitri takes the opportunity to reassure his soulmate. _You have_ always _deserved to be happy. This is what I’ve always wanted, just you and me in love._

Eli pulls back and looks Demitri in the eyes. _Really?_

_Of course,_ Demitri replies. 

_I love you, Eli._


End file.
